


Unfinished WIP: UchiSaku for littlebirdrobin

by moor



Series: Tumblr request [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Corporate AU, Love Triangle, Modern AU, Multi, Tumblr request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-02-07 20:20:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12848775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moor/pseuds/moor
Summary: Tumblr request from @littlebirdrobinModern Business AU





	1. Chapter 1

_Four… three… two…_

One more, Sakura counted down mentally, swallowing her yawn.

_… one…_

The heavy, well-built body thrusting into her stiffened and paused, tense, before giving a soft grunt. It was followed by a huff of breath that blew down over her glanced off her cheek as she subtly shifted her head to the side, avoiding its moistness.

_Three… two… one…_

He rolled off her, and Sakura let her arms fall dutifully from her husband’s shoulders to pull her housecoat closer before giving him a moment to compose himself. Not that either of them was particularly winded.

Sakura sat up and glanced at the bathroom.  
  
“Go ahead,” said Sasuke, collecting a facecloth from the drawer of his nightstand. Sakura faithfully refilled it every Tuesday and Friday evening. Like clockwork. He stood, his back to her, and pulled off his condom to knot it and drop it in the garbage, then wipe himself with the cloth.

“Thanks,” Sakura said, heading to their ensuite bathroom to shower and scourge her body under the currents of scalding water.

With a  _click_ she shut the door between them and turned on the shower.

As she warmed up the shower she pulled her phone from her housecoat.

9:47 pm, right on time.

She shrugged off her housecoat to hang it behind the door, and left her phone on the bathroom counter.

Exactly thirteen minutes later she was towelling off and climbing back into bed.

Sasuke’s soft snores droned on, eventually boring her to sleep.

*****

“Here are the historicals on those two variants we discontinued,” said Sakura, passing a manila envelope to Itachi the next morning. Their offices were across from each other on the penthouse floor of Uchiha-Haruno Holdings, the head office of the largest business merger in a generation among the modern conglomerates. “I e-mailed you the link to the source data on the S-drive. Password’s inside the first folder,” she said.

“I’ll have to be careful with it,” he said, smiling gently up at her. “It’s almost ten. Do you have time for tea?”

“I have a few minutes,” said Sakura, returning Itachi’s smile. “If you do.”

“I do,” he said, voice warm. “Can I interest you in something new?”

Sakura followed him to his office kitchenette, tucked away kitty-corner to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Their shoulders brushed as Itachi reached for the pair of matching cups he kept on the shelf alongside the tea set, and Sakura cocked her head as she caught sight of the new tea canister. “This one?”

“Ah,” he said, voice soft.

“Green tea… and sakura petal,” she read aloud, her voice husky as his careful, handwritten kanji from the handmade label sunk in. She licked the inside of her lip. She popped the top and inhaled the tempting aroma, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the delectable floral scent.

“It’s a new favourite. I think you’ll like it,” he murmured. “May I?” he asked, opening his hand.

Their fingers brushed, Itachi’s gently closing over Sakura’s as she passed him the canister. His warmth suffused her, spreading through her in lovely, comforting waves, like the scent of the tea that wafted from the open canister.

“Please,” she said, releasing her hold on it reluctantly.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

With calm, efficient movements he measured the tea leaves into the tea strainer, poured over the no-longer-boiling water, and replaced the lid of the smoke-grey, porcelain teapot with the softest clink.

“It will be a few minutes,” he informed Sakura. “Before it is ready.”  
  
“Are you free? I know how busy you get.”

“I am happy to wait,” he said, turning to look her in her sparkling green eyes. “The sakura blossom is worth it,” he added.

Sakura held his gaze as her chest tightened.

“There is no rush,” he said gently, turning his body towards her and leaning forward, just enough for his shoulder to press into hers, sharing more of his warmth and protection.

“Thank you,” breathed Sakura, relaxing into his strength.

“You are always welcome.”

They were quiet and shared the silence equally as they waited for the tea to steep.

“Plans for lunch?” asked Sakura as she accepted the cup of tea from Itachi when it was ready.

“Work,” he said, apology clear in his eyes.

Sakura nodded.

“Thank you for the tea.”

“I hope you enjoy it. You may return the cup at your convenience.”

“Thank you, Itachi,” she repeated as she turned to leave through his door. He held it open as she passed by, catching her eye and nodding, his face its usual, inexpressive stone. Yet his dark eyes were kind, soft and caring in a way only she knew.

“Have a great day.”

“And you,” he said, closing the door behind her.

Her spirits lifted, her heart comforted, Sakura returned to work for the rest of her day.

*****

“As expected, we achieved our monthly targets, with minor variances in time-labour charges due to overtime,” said Sasuke at the monthly financial review.

Itachi and Sakura nodded and Sasuke sat, releasing the digital projector from his laptop’s signal so another could take over.

Itachi connected to the projector signal and began casting his review.

“—and with the cooperation of our Haruno colleagues,” he nodded to Sakura, who smiled back, “we completed our preliminary work slightly behind target, but gained a significant advantage in our production schedule and are ahead of schedule by nearly a quarter,” he said. “We expect even more significant savings in the next quarter as our techniques are further refined and our employees gain experience in their new roles.”

“Sounds like very good news all around,” said Sakura optimistically. “In the health nanotechnology sector, our suppliers faced environmental challenges which slowed delivery temporarily mid-month, but we took advantage of the slow-down to increase cross-training and implement cost-savings measures, and were in a stronger position once production picked up again. We’re ahead of target for our deliverables and our cost-savings-measures as a result.”

“Turning a disadvantage to your advantage,” remarked Itachi.

Sakura grinned. “Everything can become a strength,” she quipped back.

They chuckled under their breath at their old back-and-forth repartés.

From across the wide boardroom table, Sasuke’s fingers closed in a loose fist behind the cover of his laptop. “Anything else to report?” he broke in.

Sakura straightened her shoulders and sat up taller. “All is well in the nanotech division. We expect no other major challenges for the remainder of the quarter,” she reported tonelessly.

“It is rewarding to have such a short, productive meeting,” said Itachi. “Please pass on my congratulations to all employees in each division, thanking them for making this such a successful month end.”

“Hear hear,” said Sakura.

“Hn.” Sasuke’s grunt was curt.

“Motion to adjourn,” said Sakura.

“Seconded,” said Sasuke.

“Meeting adjourned,” said Itachi.

*****

Itachi’s hands gripped the marble sink of his kitchenette with white knuckles as the trembling overtook him.

His back spasmed and his stomach clenched, and he dry-heaved into the sink, cursing himself.

The faulty lungs inside his chest rebelled again, forcing another cough from him, this time spraying the sink with pink- and red-tinged foam as he spat at the drain.

The marble stained even as he ran the taps violently to flush it.

Over the sound of the water he didn’t hear the knocking at his office door, the  _shhhng_ of the card reader as it authorized entry to his visitor.

“Itachi, we’re getting ready to—”

The door snapped shut immediately and was followed by the sound of running footsteps.

“How long?” she asked, grabbing for the bar towels he kept in the drawer to the left of the sink. She wet the first one in the running water before loosening the knot of Itachi’s tie and unbuttoning his pristine ivory shirt, expertly opening the neck of it to reveal his throat. She lay the towel across the back of Itachi’s neck before wetting another towel in the same quick, efficient manner. This time she turned to his face. Her eyes widened and lines formed around them before her expression toughened.

“Why didn’t you call,” she snapped, patting at the drips and drops of blood which had rebounded off the water to splash his face. His skin was ghostly pale, his temples wet from the exertion of his violent coughing. His eyes were red from the strain the fits had put on his body. “I’m right across the hall, damnit!”

“Everything… fine,” he mumbled, struggling to remain on his feet.

“Yeah, obviously. I can tell by the torn stomach muscles and wobbly knees. You’re the picture of competent leadership. If that leadership is half-corpse,” said Sakura, rinsing the cloth in cold water, folding it over, and placing it across Itachi’s brow. “Sit down, back against the cupboard. That’s it.” She placed a towel across Itachi’s lap. “Spit at this if you need to. Where’s your kit? Your case?”

Itachi sighed, nodding towards the briefcase beside his desk. Sakura hurried to the desk, quickly and neatly stacking Itachi’s work to the side to make room for the case and its contents.

“What was it this time?” she asked as she undid the combination lock from memory and popped open the top of the case. “The stress of the renegotiation? Do you have another ulcer?”  
  
“No,” he groaned, exhausted. Even that simple acknowledgement sent him back into fits of coughing, and Sakura hurried back to his side, dragging the case with her and dropping it at Itachi’s feet while she rubbed his back and supported him, preventing him from toppling to the side.

“Smoke inhalation? Allergy? Coffee too strong?” she asked, knowing full well he hated coffee and wouldn’t drink it unless it was half sugar. “Fight with your girlfriend?” she asked when he didn’t respond.

Her heart caught in her throat when he looked up at her, emotions clear and firm in his face.

“Never,” he breathed, voice raspy.

Sakura swallowed her anxiety, looking away. At the case.

“Here, your inhaler. Let’s get those bronchial tubes nice and relaxed, and then we’ll be able to dose you to your stubborn gills,” she said.

Itachi reached for her hand, staying it when she tried to put the inhaler to his pale lips. “Sakura—”

“I’m a doctor first and a businesswoman second, Itachi. The board is three doors away and you need to be in that meeting,” she insisted.

“I can’t speak,” he rasped.

“You could if you would take your damn puffer,” she said, snapping on the face mask attachment and shoving it onto his face. “Now, breathe.” She hit the plunger before he could object again, forcing him to accept care. It was very wrong of her, but she needed—

His chilled fingers relaxed around hers, before giving them a gentle squeeze.

Itachi inhaled, and Sakura finally exhaled, her heart still racing as his finally responded to the respiratory therapy.

“Thank you,” she said, lowering to sit on her knees as she leaned across Itachi.

He watched her patiently, his hair loose around his face and the inhaler-mask she still pressed on him.

His other hand continued stroking hers, holding it to his chest. Neither knew when she’d reached out, or when he’d taken it, but their connection continued.

—until the beep of the door lock and  _shhhng_ of the door resonated again, forcing them to drop each other’s hands and sit up straighter, even as they remained on the floor.

“What is going on, Itachi! the shareholders are—what happened? Sakura, does he need an ambulance?”

Sasuke had frozen as he stared at his brother on the floor.

“Close the door,” said Sakura, quietly.

Thankfully Sasuke listened to her for once and did as he was told.

“He’s had a bad coughing fit. We’re just taking a minute for the inhaler to kick in before we go back out.”

“Can’t… talk…”

Sakura grimaced and faced Sasuke.

“Itachi is pretty limited by how much he can speak.”

“Then fix him,” said Sasuke.

“I’m doing what I can. He needs time.” Here Sakura glanced at Itachi and winced. “And a fresh suit.”

“We don’t have the time,” said Sasuke, brows drawing together.

“Suit?” she tried, desperate.

“Closet,” rasped Itachi, turning his head away from the inhaler-mask. Sasuke glared at Sakura, expecting her to fetch it, but Sakura’s entire focus was on Itachi and his condition.

“You need another dose,” said Sakura.

“Change,” said Itachi, putting his hands on his knees, then the ground beside him.

Sakura’s eyes went wide again before she nearly snarled. “You will stay put or I will lay you out flat for a week, I swear to—”

“Here,” snapped Sasuke, slapping Itachi’s fresh suit down. “Change. Sakura and I will go reassure everyone that everything is fine. It will give the senile idiots a chance to fawn over her and ask her why she isn’t pregnant and retired from the workforce yet.”

He grabbed her arm tightly and began dragging her from the room.

“The hell I will—” Sakura dug in her heels and tore her arm from Sasuke’s grip.

“See you… soon,” said Itachi, leaning back against the cupboards again to watch them go.

“Come on,” said Sasuke, closing the door behind himself and Sakura, who immediately quieted once the door to the hallway opened. There could be no sign of unrest or instability. The fate of the merger depended on their coordination and confidence in each other.


	2. The War Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting

Sakura strode into the conference room ahead of Sasuke, her chin up and shoulders back, if a bit tight under her husband’s burning glare. To her irritation, Sasuke didn’t let up, even as they entered the board room. There were three empty seats at the head of the table reserved for them.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted the assembled shareholders. “Thank you for your patience.”

“Is something wrong?” asked one of their biggest investors, the Hyuuga. 

The Hyuuga had been one of the most reluctant buyers in the merger. Their conglomerate had been at odds with the Uchiha  _ zaibatsu  _ for generations. It was only through the facilitation of the Senju, and specifically Sakura’s friendship with the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, that the conservative clan had even agreed to a tentative partnership. The arrangement remained fragile and fraught, particularly when Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Sasuke found themselves in shared spaces. Sakura had hoped that Itachi’s calm, serene presence would have tempered Hiashi’s doubt. Without Itachi, Sakura quietly prayed that she could appeal to Hiashi as a friend to temper any rough patches.

Hoping to break the tension with a gentle, familial quip—she was familiar with Hiashi on a personal level and knew some of his soft spots, thanks to Hinata—Sakura smiled and opened her mouth to speak. Before Sakura could respond, however, Sasuke interrupted with a terse,

“Sakura needed a moment.”

Sakura’s heart sank as she watched Hiashi’s eyes reflect his dimming respect for her.

In front of everyone, Sasuke, her husband, his hand on Sakura’s lower back, directed Sakura to sit to his right at the table.

The tension between Sakura’s shoulders spread to her chest and she struggled to swallow her bitter anger. In a deliberate, silent, act of revolt, she slid into the seat to his left, the one in the middle of the three open seats.

Against her shoulders, the squeeze of the leather behind her head creaked dangerously under the pressure of Sasuke’s grip.

Sakura smiled at everyone, reassuring them. “Things have been so busy I forgot to eat lunch and got a bit light-headed,” she lied. “Sasuke was just reminding me I need to take care of myself more.”    
Under the guise of affection, she reached up to squeeze Sasuke’s hand—and loosen it from its unrelenting grasp on the back of her seat.

“Is Itachi not joining us?” asked Hiashi, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Sakura and Sasuke.

“He is on his way. He wanted to give us a moment with you privately, to share our own good news first,” said Sasuke.

Sakura felt the polite smile on her face freeze as icicles formed down her spine, making her brittle. What was Sasuke talking about? This wasn’t part of their prepared speech.   
Across from Sakura, Hiashi’s stern face tightened as he stared at the way Sakura held Sasuke’s hand at her shoulder. Sakura held her breath, unsure what Sasuke had planned and unable to give him any kind of cue to clue her in. Then, to her surprise, she saw genuine, pleased emotion soften Hiashi’s lined features.

“Are congratulations in order for our young leaders?” he asked in a paternal tone.

Sakura’s hand, the one not holding Sasuke’s, clawed at her thigh under the polished boardroom table to fend off the anxiety that threatened to choke her. No. Sasuke wouldn’t dare start such a dangerous rumour just to ward off the shareholders’ suspicions. It was desperate and reckless. They barely looked at each other in bed. They were more roommates than marriage partners. Theirs would not be a loving home, for any child. It was why they were so careful, whenever they had sex. Sakura had no intention of having children with Sasuke.

Yet the delicate taste of sakura tea sweetened her tongue for for a half-second, her mind’s eye full of a pair of gentle hands, her ears inclined to a patient, deep voice, the soft brush of sleeve against sleeve even though there was plenty of room for them to have avoided each other. 

She swallowed painfully.

“We wanted to let you know that our plans for the merger are going so well we are moving ahead with our plans for a family early,” said Sasuke, interrupting Sakura’s mild panic. “We are not making a full, official, announcement yet, for Sakura’s wellbeing, but we did want to reassure you that we would not have moved forward with this if we weren’t experiencing an unprecedented amount of success. Successes we will be reviewing with you, fully. Itachi insisted that we go ahead and advise you of our private plans, as you are very important to us, not only as business partners, but also, many of you, as close friends.”

“Well, this is very good news indeed,” said another of their investors, the Aburame. “I see why your brother insisted you speak first, Sasuke. He places great trust in you.”

“Agreed. And may I be the first to offer pre-emptive congratulations,” said Hiashi.

Itachi, his complexion still somewhat waxy, entered the meeting as Hiashi raised his glass. His dark hair was neatly tied back once more and his fresh suit worked wonders for him, Sakura thought, her eyes desperately seeking his. If she hadn’t seen him collapsed only minutes early with her own eyes, she never would have known he was barely holding himself upright.

Itachi gave a polite nod to the assembled shareholders and came to join Sakura’s other side, at the last remaining seat. His sleeve brushed her shoulder gently as he came to stand at Sakura’s other side, opposite Sasuke. Sakura longed to grab his hand.

“I trust you haven’t finished without me,” he said, gently teasing. His voice held hardly a rasp.

“Only the most important news,” said Hiashi, gesturing to Itachi to lift his glass of ice water.

“The Aburame, too, wish to offer you our support and best wishes for a swift and healthy succession,” added Aburame Shibi.

“Congratulations, you’ll be an uncle soon, Itachi,” said Hiashi. 

Sakura had to hand it to Itachi. He gave no hint that he was surprised by the announcement.

“Ah. It is perfect timing for the Haruno, Senju and Uchiha,” agreed Itachi. “We thank you for your support and pledge to continue to lead the merger with everyone’s best interests at heart. After all, we need to lead by example, do we not?”

“Hear hear,” said Hiashi.

The rest of the table offered their rounds of congratulations in turn, until it circled back to Sakura, who had barely spoken a word.

“Well, as much as I would love to bask in congratulations, there is still work to be done,” said Sakura, smiling ruefully. “And we want to share just how far we’ve come since the initial merger.” 

With that, Sasuke and Itachi sat down at her sides, and Sakura called the meeting to order.

As each of them spoke in turn, providing their updates, Sakura unconsciously reached for Itachi beneath the table.

It was only when she felt his thigh jump under her hand that she realized he had been deliberately withholding his hand from her.

Swallowing hard, Sakura focused on the meeting and withdrew her hand.

As the meeting came to a close, two hours later, Sakura stood with her husband and brother in law by the door, thanking each shareholder by name and accepting more congratulations.

“You’ll need to take better care of yourself, Sakura,” said Hiashi quietly as the last of the shareholders filed out. He held both her hands in his wizened ones and gave them a fatherly pat. “I know you’ll be an excellent mother. Don’t you let these two Uchiha bully you. You’re a strong woman with a good head on your shoulders. Hinata has always said that about you.”

“Thank you so much, Hiashi. Hinata means so much to me, and I’m so fortunate to have her friendship and your support,” said Sakura, trying not to lie to her good friend’s father, who had put so much trust in their relationship.

Hiashi shook his head, his stern face softening. “I am not surprised she kept this secret from me, what with my position as a shareholder. She probably knew before your husband, eh?”

“That is...” stumbled Sakura. She was a terrible liar.    
“About Sakura’s intention to become a mother, I think we all knew it would happen someday. Family is very important to our clans,” said Itachi from Sakura’s left. “And yes, it is a very closely kept intention at this time. As you understand, we prefer to focus on showing how well this merger is progressing.”

“Which you did admirably today. I am happy to see you, your brother, and Sakura at the helm. You are a very balanced leadership team,” admitted Hiashi. “I look forward to hearing more news at the next Quarterly. And much-anticipated personal news,” he added with a small smile at Sakura.

They wished each other a good evening, leaving Sasuke, Itachi and Sakura alone together in the conference room.

It was quiet a moment before Itachi said, in a very patient voice,

“May I also offer my pre-emptive congratulations on your efforts to start a new family, Sasuke and Sakura.”

“It’s a mistake,” blurted Sakura.

“It’ll have to move forward at some point soon, now that they’re expecting it,” said Sasuke stiffly. “Dump your pills when you get home.”

Sakura looked at Sasuke in horror. With Itachi standing behind her, Sakura missed the look of disgust and disappointment Itachi shot Sasuke.

“Sasuke,” chastised Itachi. “You should not have lied to the board.”

“We needed to tell them something. We should have been in this room early to welcome them, not late to our own Quarterly!”

“You cannot treat Sakura like an excuse. She is your partner, Sasuke, in business and in life. You should show her respect, especially around others,” said Itachi, surprising Sakura with his genuine, heartfelt defence of her.

“I didn’t ask for this,” snapped Sasuke.

“Yes, you did,” said Sakura, interrupting their argument. “You proposed.”

“To seal the merger,” said Sasuke.

The punch to her gut felt too real to Sakura in that moment. Sure, she’d known it, but to hear him openly say it hurt so much more.

Luckily, the thunderclap of her hand as it smacked Sasuke’s cheek and sent him reeling stilled the argument.

“You wouldn’t have had me on my back twice a week just for a merger,” said Sakura coldly.

With that she turned her back on her husband and stalked out, heels clacking against the floor like a staccato war drum.

 

**TBC.**

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so sorry, @littlebirdrobin ! I wrote this back in September, but haven’t been able to get back to it to finish it. If I have more time during the upcoming holidays, I’ll see if I can tack more on to this one. I had an outline and everything, dangit!


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